Robert Karwasky forwards a photo of a dangerous situation on the LA River bike path, just north of the Colorado Street overpass, as a collapsing fence post juts out over the pathway.
Here’s how he describes the problem —
It poses a risk for very serious injury and when traveling south on the path at dusk or night, in blends in with the tunnel and is very difficult to see.
The problem comes in figuring out just who’s responsible for fixing it.
It could be the City of Los Angeles, or maybe Glendale; it could be LA County or Caltrans. Or whoever the property owner is whose fence is collapsing.
If anyone knows, let me know so we can get this fixed before someone gets hurt.
Or if you know someone who already got hurt there, I know some damn good lawyers over there on the right.
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A Portland delivery rider offers a firsthand account of the harrowing vehicular rampage that left an elderly woman dead and injured another ten people, mostly on foot or riding bikes.
Sixty-four-year old Paul Rivas pled not guilty to 14 felony counts in the 15-block rampage, while offering an ever-shifting array of motivations.
Needless to say, police suspect some form of intoxication or illness, physical or otherwise.
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Gravel Bike California is back with the ultimate Santa Monica Mountains gravel guide.
Who knew I was a trend setter back in the day, when I rode gravel farm roads through eastern Colorado on my inappropriately skinny-tired bike.
Thanks to Zachary Rynew for the heads-up.
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Caltrans wants to know what intersections need help.
This is for all the @CaltransHQ Districts so get busy! https://t.co/q4SEPqSEiC
— erikgriswold.bsky.social (@erik_griswold) January 28, 2021
And while “every intersection” is indeed the correct answer, it’s probably not the one they’re looking for.
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Spend 14 minutes bikepacking in the Sierras through Kings Canyon and Sequoia national parks (scroll down), and exploring the devastation after a wildfire.
Or you could spend less than half that time with Danny MacAskill’s latest insane bike video.
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The war on cars may be a myth, but the war on bikes just keeps on going.
A car passenger in Yorkshire, England pushed a 70-year old man off his bicycle. Then added insult to injury — literally — by getting out and stealing the man’s bike as he lay incapacitated on the street.
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Local
The LA Times says yes, you can do bike — and hiking — tours on the cheap.
State
A San Clemente writer and longtime ebike rider gets a positive response to a column promoting ebikes, but reminds riders to stop for stop signs and red lights. Even if teen girls laugh at you.
An op-ed from a former San Diego bike commuter says bicycling rates are remaining flat, despite the city’s investment in a quality bike network. And offers suggestions on how to change that, including a call to subsidize ebikes for commuters.
Who knew? Former Vice President Spiro Agnew was one of us, taking to his bike to ride through the Coachella Valley after resigning in disgrace in 1973.
National
Bike Portland clarifies that AAA’s shift away from calling crashes accidents that we mentioned yesterday was actually from a large group of member organizations, rather than the national AAA itself.
Now that’s more like it. An Iowa man got a well-deserved eleven years behind bars for killing a man riding a bicycle, while driving drunk and texting.
The Chicago Tribune offers advice on how to bike in the snow. A skill you’re not likely to need here in Southern California; how to ride with pontoons may be more appropriate today.
The mother of a New York State teenager is suing the owner of the car that killed her daughter, alleging he loaned it to the drunk driver who swerved into a bike lane and struck the girl as she rode her bicycle; the driver was sentenced to a well-deserved five to fifteen years behind bars.
In a huge victory for Brooklyn bike riders, the city’s eponymous bridge will finally get curb protected bike lanes on both sides of the iconic span; the somewhat less famous Queensboro Bridge will get a pair, as well.
In addition to the new bridge bike lanes, New York Mayor de Blasio pledged to build new bicycle boulevards in each of the city’s seven boroughs, calling them the key to an equitable Covid recovery. That deafening silence you hear is LA Mayor Garcetti in response.
Call it an inside job. A pair of New York bike thieves enter an apartment building with bolt cutters, and take the elevator up to steal an ebike used by food delivery rider that was locked in the hallway. Which suggests they somehow knew exactly where to find it.
A member of Gotham’s Major Taylor Iron Riders bike club celebrates the namesake that inspired similar clubs across the US.
A Florida advocacy group is highlighting 21 bike-riding women for their commitment and dedication to bicycling to serve as role models for women interested in riding.
International
No surprise here, as a British bike advocacy group says removing bike lanes hits young riders the hardest. Sometimes literally.
An Indian man proves you don’t have to be able to see to compete in an ultra climbing bike race.
A Singapore bikeshare rider learns the hard way that it’s probably not the best idea to bribe an enforcement officer so he won’t seize your illegally parked bike. Or maybe just offer more next time.
Competitive Cycling
The French bicycling calendar kicks off this weekend with the Grand Prix Cycliste la Marseillaise. And no, you probably can’t see it here.
Peloton remembers the late, great Raymond Poulidor, who made the Tour de France podium eight times in 14 appearances in the ’60s and ’70s.
Finally…
You know you’ve finally made the big time when there’s a sand truck named after you. Youth must be served, as a toddler kicks ass on a pump track with a pacifier in his mouth.
And this driver should be charged with bicycle cruelty.
Vidéo insoutenable. https://t.co/KeyUrHXIux
— Dans la Musette (@DansLaMusette) January 28, 2021
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Apropos of nothing, here’s a little corgi action from my personal Twitter account to get you through the weekend, until we meet again.
Watch this to the end. She's watching the cursor, and thinks there's a bug on the screen. #CorgiCrew pic.twitter.com/nRro5CacKz
— Ted Rogers (@TedRogersLA) January 27, 2021
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Be safe, and stay healthy. And wear a damn mask, already.
Regarding the LA River Bike Path hazard– this site lists areas LADOT is responsible for: https://ladotlivablestreets.org/content-detail/Bikeway-Maintenance
This is the link to complete a service request: https://ladot.lacity.org/residents/service-requests
Regarding the Los Angeles River Bike Path: it is managed by the City of Los Angeles, Department of Transportation. The problem may be that it could be a Cal Trans fence, so it could also be a state owned pole!
I discovered this info while trying to get the Riverside Bridge gate unlocked so cyclists can pass under the bridge instead of crossing traffic (at the Victory entrance and exit of the 134 freeway,)
So far I’ve had no luck. Below is the email of the person who supposedly manages the maintenance of bike paths. Because of COVID, few people answer phones or are in the offices, and I never got an adequate response for the gate. Perhaps you will do better than I did! I just sent another email about the locked gate, just in case!
paul.konkirati@lacity.org
A note of info I was given by the county of LA:
The location (bike path) stated in your inquiry falls under the jurisdiction of the City of L.A. Links to the City’s main website.
You may also contact the City’s call center via telephone by dialing 3-1-1.
Links
City of Los Angeles http://www.lacity.org
Department of Transportation manages the bike path
Please don’t repeat propaganda about convicted Republicans! Agnew is a convicted criminal tax cheat. There’s nothing trumped up about this – it’s all facts with and dollars on paper. He was found guilty. You shouldn’t fall for this attempt at revisionist history. I don’t need to hear that he biked, walked or rode in a limo.